No Clear Differentiation: What Law Firms Need to Learn from Wal-Mart

There's no better example of the need to create a unique identity in the marketplace than Wal-Mart.  And law firms might pause and consider this lesson.

During the worst of hard economic times, plain-vanilla discounter Wal-Mart thrived.  Now that the pall of The Great Recession is lifting, that big box is stumbling in revenues.  Last quarter was not good.  Rivals with clear branding are starting to chew on its lunch.  They range from other discounters to the experience-economy stores like Target.

As law firms compete for a smaller amount of business - inhouse is keeping more right there inhouse - they have to communicate why they should be picked versus their look-alikes.  One firm which has been doing that, ranging from its organizational culture to its advertising, is Nilan Johnson Lewis, based in Minneapolis.  For example, its airport ads, which sometimes use candy themes, were so different that legal tabloid Abovethelaw.com featured them, with a bit of skepticism and humor.  Earlier the law firm was covered in FORTUNE Magazine.  In addition, the partners such as Mike Nilan comport themselves differently than the typical BigLaw attorney.  He and his colleague Scott Smith are accessible, that is, tower in high Emotional Intelligence [EI]. 

Here is my complimentary ebook on EI which has had more than a million downloads Download CUsersjasneDocumentsjg.

Comments

[Art LeBeau]

Who would want to learn anything from Wal-Mart? Years ago yes, but not now with the mentality in Bentonville. Other than a few at the top virtually no one is appreciated nor respected. It is the person on the sales floor who does the job, without them you need no one at the top. Wal-Mart no longer respects them and does threat them lousy (I would use profanity but it is not in my vocabulary)
Art LeBeau, Villa Ridge, MO

[LWed]

Would you say that firms that have treated associates shitty, for example, by firing half the first years only four months after their start date, or firing nearly half the associates in their largest office (a-Latham-choo!, sorry, I sneezed) have jeopardized their ability to differentiate themselves by impairing their ability to attract top talent?

Well, I guess having better associates than your competitors doesn't matter. Not like the associates are the ones doing the work, right?